As you may already know, February is National Heart Month. In relating the heart to sleep breathing disorders, it's important to remember that the heart health of a person suffering from obstructive sleep airway can take a significant beating over time -- for both men and women. Often times, the awareness of heart disease in women is overlooked and more than 6 million American women are affected a year. It is the number one killer of women and is responsible for one in three deaths in women annually, in addition to the many cases that go undiagnosed.

The importance of education and screening for OSA is our theme this month in our mission to spread awareness that sleep plays a major role in overall health and wellness. The following article should shed some light on the Sleep and Heart connection and can be used as a resource tool with female dental sleep patients. Click on the link below to read.

Your challenge this month is to show love by educating your patients about the effects obstructive sleep airway can have on the human heart and the importance of screening. Please write in 100 words or less about the connection between sleep and cardiovascular health and how you communicate this to your sleep patients at your practice. The Alumni with the BEST HEART AND SLEEP EDUCATION response will win a $150 Amazon gift card! That should get your heart leaping for joy on this leap year! Enter YES below to let us know you are submitting an entry and email your entry to alumni@osauniversity.org or fax to 630-626-3754. The deadline is Monday, February 29th 2016.

National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 5th so help spread heart health awareness by wearing your favorite red attire!

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Please submit YES below to let us know you are sending an entry for the BEST HEART AND SLEEP EDUCATION! *